Comments from new PL2 user.....

[Edward Lai]

This is surely a very good camera. Not the same housing, but would enjoy to share some photos:

With Olympus 14-42mm kit lens:

With Panasonic 14mm wide angle:

With Leica 45mm Marco:

And link to my E-PL2 gallery: NA-EPL2 Test w/ Oly 14-42 & Panny 45 Macro, 14 Pancake @ Moalboal May-2011 - Nauticam Photo Gallery's Photos

Edward

 

[deeper thoughts]

very nice

 

[DoNotDstrb]

if u have the time, really would like you to compare the epl3 and epl2

No underwater housing available yet, therefore it doesn't exist.....


Seriously, though..... On the positive side... The PL3 is smaller, has full 1080p HD video, higher burst mode (5 fps), and reportedly focuses faster...

On the negative side for UW: The screen is 16:9 -- great for video, but 4:3 still images are very small on the LCD. No internal flash to trigger optical TTL strobes... it is unclear whether the Oly wireless strobes will be the only option. Also, its unclear where the new housing will support Zen dome ports.

Already having a PL-2, so I don't think its worth the upgrade..... if I were buying now, I'd have to really take a hard look. The camera is $200 higher and the housing is announced at $200 more. Is there $400's worth of "better stuff" in there??...... From what preliminary info I've read up until now.... perhaps not.

 

[DoNotDstrb]

Can you post a picture of your set up?

Here are some pics of the rig..... Some work from this weekend added: http://ejmorales.com/p598816888

 

[MJSmith]

Thanks for the set up pictures!

I only use one strobe, so when I take the plunge and upgrade from my OLY 8000, my rig should be a little smaller. I understand I will have some shadows, but my pictures are for scrapbook stuff anyway.

 

[DoNotDstrb]

Thanks for the set up pictures!

I only use one strobe, so when I take the plunge and upgrade from my OLY 8000, my rig should be a little smaller. I understand I will have some shadows, but my pictures are for scrapbook stuff anyway.

Best of luck..... You can do some very good work with one strobe. A few pros prefer to only use one. Larry Gates is a photographer in the Keys with a few books published and one of his sayings is "There is only one sun, why do I need two strobes??" He does some pretty amazing work with one strobe. Stephen Frink also does a lot of mostly wide-angle work with one-strobe.... he hand-holds it and moves it around where he thinks it needs to be to "paint" the scene just right.

 

[Meyr]

No underwater housing available yet, therefore it doesn't exist.....


Seriously, though..... On the positive side... The PL3 is smaller, has full 1080p HD video, higher burst mode (5 fps), and reportedly focuses faster...

On the negative side for UW: The screen is 16:9 -- great for video, but 4:3 still images are very small on the LCD. No internal flash to trigger optical TTL strobes... it is unclear whether the Oly wireless strobes will be the only option. Also, its unclear where the new housing will support Zen dome ports.

Already having a PL-2, so I don't think its worth the upgrade..... if I were buying now, I'd have to really take a hard look. The camera is $200 higher and the housing is announced at $200 more. Is there $400's worth of "better stuff" in there??...... From what preliminary info I've read up until now.... perhaps not.

..and yet u have concluded the epl3 review
Nice, thanx for the info.
Im upgrading from xz1.
Yea i guess the absence of the internal flash really is a setback even for me.
Since u already mentioned that it will be pricier than epl2,
i dont think i want to spend some more on the optional flash.

 

[chris196]

A flash is bundled with the epl3 at no extra charge and the announced housing supports the flash. It even has a diffuser so you can use the flash. In the epl1/2 the on board flash can only be used to trigger an external flash. Whether or not it will actually be useful is yet to be determined.

I have the epl2 and housing and really like it, but flash is no reason to dismiss the epl3.

 

[DoNotDstrb]

A flash is bundled with the epl3 at no extra charge and the announced housing supports the flash. It even has a diffuser so you can use the flash. In the epl1/2 the on board flash can only be used to trigger an external flash. Whether or not it will actually be useful is yet to be determined.

I have the epl2 and housing and really like it, but flash is no reason to dismiss the epl3.

Since I wrote that other comment, I've read much more about the PL3...... Everything you say is true.... I also doubt the ability to actually use the internal flash will be of any practical use... Its rather weak and you have the backscatter issue all over again..... Still, as an external strobe trigger, its there.

If I were buying new today, I would seriously consider it.... specially if the $400 price difference over the PL2/Housing shrinks significantly when all the pieces hit the streets. Removable port like the PL2 would also be a make-or-break point.

For an existing PL2 owner, the only thing that has my attention is the faster focusing/reduced shutter lag. I would have to actually play with it and see what the "real world" difference actually is..... The PL2 is significantly faster than my previous S90 and approaches my land-only (so far ) Canon 7D..... Since getting the PL2, I can't say I've missed any shots due purely to shutter lag. The PL3 would have to be significantly faster than the PL2 and be compatible with existing Zen ports I already have for me to consider the upgrade and financial loss that would invariably go with it.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Since I wrote that other comment, I've read much more about the PL3...... Everything you say is true.... I also doubt the ability to actually use the internal flash will be of any practical use... Its rather weak and you have the backscatter issue all over again..... Still, as an external strobe trigger, its there.

If I were buying new today, I would seriously consider it.... specially if the $400 price difference over the PL2/Housing shrinks significantly when all the pieces hit the streets. Removable port like the PL2 would also be a make-or-break point.

For an existing PL2 owner, the only thing that has my attention is the faster focusing/reduced shutter lag. I would have to actually play with it and see what the "real world" difference actually is..... The PL2 is significantly faster than my previous S90 and approaches my land-only (so far ) Canon 7D..... Since getting the PL2, I can't say I've missed any shots due purely to shutter lag. The PL3 would have to be significantly faster than the PL2 and be compatible with existing Zen ports I already have for me to consider the upgrade and financial loss that would invariably go with it.

Funny my EPL1 is now considered "old"